The pop divas have returned to the scene
|  | | Janet Jackson | | Three decades ago, popular singers Janet Jackson and Madonna stepped into the music industry. Two decades ago, pop songstress Mariah Carey also stepped in. Combined, each artist averaged about ten albums over the years. Together, they are known as the pop divas of today and have all returned this year with brand new albums.
Jackson released her 10th album, Discipline, on Feb. 22. Working with the likes of mega-hit songwriter and singer Ne-Yo and longtime hip-hop producers Jermaine Dupri and Rodney Jerkins, it is hard to be unsuccessful. Discipline shows that Jackson is capable of sticking to her own style, but still keeps up with the ever-changing music. The debut single, "Feedback", charted at No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100, making her best single since 2001 with "Someone to Call My Lover".
For whatever reason, Jackson released "Rock with U" and "LUV" as singles just one week after another. She needs to be careful in deciding which songs to release as singles and devote time into promoting each one. Jackson may have a household name, but releasing singles too quickly might actually hurt her more than help her.
In fact, Carey did the same thing as well with E=MC2. Her 11th album was released on April 15. Carey's magical number must be 18, not only because this is her 18th year being a successful professional singer, but she also has 18 No. 1 singles under her belt. Just a few weeks ago, Carey surpassed Elvis Presley (yes, the King) when her debut single, "Touch My Body", broke the record for the most top-charting songs. After three more hits, she will be tied with the Beatles.
The good news for Carey is that E=MC2 is filled with potential hits, so she has nothing to fear. There is no doubt that Carey will be the queen of No. 1 hit singles. "Bye Bye" was released last week as Carey's second single off of the album. While it is a great heartwarming song about loved ones passing away, it might be more difficult since it is a slow ballad. Nonetheless, it should not slow her down.
Next week on April 29, Madonna will be releasing Hard Candy as her 11th album to date. As Madonna's first comeback single, "4 Minutes", she worked with massive hip-hop producer Timbaland and the ever-so-popular pop singer Justin Timberlake. My take? Brilliance! To have a good comeback, one must have a great hit while working alongside with very successful people and Madonna did just that.
Despite the hip-hop feel to "4 Minutes", Madonna maintains her love for pop dance music for the rest of Hard Candy. Many of the songs are produced by both her and hit producer Pharrell Williams.
With Jackson, Carey, and Madonna, there seems to be one more name missing from this diva list. And that is, of course, Whitney Houston. Over the recent years, Houston has gone through many ups and downs of her life, including all the drama with her ex-husband, Bobby Brown and visits to rehab.
Nonetheless, there is actually a tentative release date scheduled for her upcoming album in November. It is important to note that Houston supposedly had plans to release an album back in 2005. That, obviously, never happened. So who knows? Maybe Houston will actually come through this time and come out with some new music to join the rest of the returning divas.
After releasing so many albums, there has to be a key formula in order to be successful. Working with the right producers and collaborating with the right artists is important. More so, it is even more significant to be able to maintain the style they are known for, but also be capable of adapting to modern day music.
Fortunately, Jackson, Carey, and Madonna all executed the formula triumphantly. Thus, they are showing the world that they are forced to be reckoned with and that they still have got it after all these years. And to top it off, they all still look great, despite their ages.
Ultimately, E=MC2 and Hard Candy are definitely worth checking out. Discipline is OK, but it doesn't take away from the fact that it's a good album from Jackson. (The Spectator - Richard Allan Aquino)
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